Homeland HumveeVehicle: 1996 Jeep Cherokee Owner: Scott Armstrong, Port Jervis, NY (currently deployed overseas) Tires & Wheels: 31-inch Super Swamper tires on 15-inch Crager wheels Suspension: 4-inch Rough Country suspension lift Drivetrain: Stock Performance Mods: 4.0L I-6 High Output, snorkel, Borla cat-back exhaust Other Doodads: Removable doors, custom flat black front and rear steel bumpers with D-rings, Warn 9500 winch, new frame and floor pans, bedliner coating on floor pans and over fendersFunniest Wheeling Incident: I was so eager to test out the snorkel and winch, I went straight for a mud pit after being warned about it swallowing every other truck. After creeping in, I couldn’t back out, so I went for it. I found myself up to the steering wheel in muddy water. The snorkel kept the engine running and I hopped on the hood to reach the winch under the water. The snorkel and winch both passed their first test and it took about two weeks for the truck to dry out. Does everything work the way you want?: One of the most reliable and toughest trucks I’ve owned. I love it. Anything you would change?: Lockers, bigger lift, 33-inch Boggers, and flat green olive drab paint Anything to add?: I bought this Cherokee after my first tour overseas. I enjoyed driving the Humvees so much that I couldn’t wait to get home and get a rig of my own.

Farmtastic FlopperVehicle: 1979 Jeep CJ-7Owner: Josh Husted Tires & Wheels: 49-inch tractor tires Suspension: Homebuilt triangulated 4-link front and rear Drivetrain: T-18 transmission, Dana 20 transfer case, Dana 70 front, Dana 60 rear with Lincoln Locker, 5.13 gears Performance Mods: 304ci V-8 with Edelbrock Performer package (camshaft, carburetor, and intake), D.U.I. distibutor, K&N intake, fenderwell-exit headers Funniest Wheeling Incident: Putting it on its lid because I couldn’t see and needed a spotter Does everything work the way you want? It’s getting there Anything you would change?: Coilovers, lower stance, propane injection Anything to add?: This was my first time welding and I cut the back half of the frame out and started over with a pile of steel and a borrowed welder. You can do anything you set your mind to.

Unpopular AussieVehicle: 1974 Jeep CJ-6 Owner: Jason Caruana, Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia Tires & Wheels: 33x12.5 Cooper ST tires on 15-inch custom steel wheels Suspension: 2-inch lift coils all around, long-arm rear Drivetrain: AX15 transmission, NP231J transfer case, ’99 XJ Dana 30 front, ’99 WJ Dana 44 rear narrowed 3 inches, 4.26 gears Performance Mods: Australian Redesigned Buick 3.8L V-6 EFI dual-fuel propane and petroleum Other Doodads: Chassis swap CJ-6 body on a TJ chassis, moving the differential 10 inches back to fit the body, all TJ electrical system, 7-inch TJ flares, TJ seats, rollcage Funniest Wheeling Incident: When going to meet friends at a campsite while towing a trailer, I took a wrong turn and went up a very steep hill and got stuck halfway. My wife got out to try and call for help from the top of the hill and fell over three times trying to get up there. Subsequently I was not Mister Popular. Does everything work the way you want?: Almost Anything you would change?: Locker up front and doors Anything to add?: Love your mag. Keep up the good work.

Wait, What?!Best Bird Ever?Vehicle: 1968 Pontiac Firebird 4x4 Owner: Brian Moses, Wichita, KS Tires & Wheels: 33x12.5 Futura Dakota RVT tires on 15-inch American Racing polished wheels Suspension: 23-inch suspension lift, International Scout front springs, stock rear leaf springs, long-travel shock Drivetrain: Chrysler 727 transmission, Dana 20 transfer case, Dana 44 front and rear, 3.08 gears, Detroit Trutrac rear differential, stock Trac-Lok front differential Performance Mods: International 345ci V-8 bored 0.30 over, forged flat-top pistons, ported and shaved heads, sodium exhaust valves, digital MSD ignition, 4-barrel Thermoquad carburetor Other Doodads: The car is not on a 4x4 frame; it’s the original Firebird, but still steers and drives perfectly Funniest Wheeling Incident: My buddy, who stores everything he owns on his dash, told his girlfriend, “If he can do it, I can too,” and tried to follow me up the embankment of a river. He did a nose plant into the embankment, and everything on the dash—and his girlfriend—ended up in the backseat. She wasn’t hurt, and I laughed my butt off. Does everything work the way you want?: Beyond expectations! It does an easy 130 mph. Anything you would change?: Upgrade the sound system to digital with two 10-inch subwoofers Anything to add?: This is the best thing that ever happened to a ’68 Firebird [Really? —TR]. It’s a true muscle car now. I love running with Corvettes on the highway and outclimbing rockcrawlers that come in on trailers.

Radio Fly-by-4Vehicle: Radio Flyer wagon Owner: Brandon Black, Rolla, MO Tires & Wheels: ATV tires on silver-painted steel wheels Suspension: Triangulated 4-link suspension, custom frame, custom body lift, coil springs Performance Mods: Powered by his son’s imagination Other Doodads: Custom stainless steel exhaust stack, custom tonneau cover, custom paint, Rhino lining Anything to add?: I gave this to my son for his third birthday and would love to see it in your magazine for him to keep and so he can brag about it when he’s older

Family-Built FrankentruckVehicle: 1985 Chevy Silverado Owner: Ben Partlow, Bruno, MN Tires & Wheels: 56-inch tractor treads Suspension: 12-inch Superlift with custom frame modifications, Rancho shocks Drivetrain: Modified Turbo 350 transmission, NP205 transfer case, Rockwell top-loaders Performance Mods: 482ci Chevy big-block V-8 with 200hp nitrous kit and header exhaust stacks Other Doodads: Custom fiberglass pickup box sides, cowl hood, racing seats with 5-point safety harnesses, “lots of others” Funniest Wheeling Incident: Breaking the rear window while pulling someone out Does everything work the way you want?: It definitely gets it done! Anything you would change?: I would like to put in a rollcage and do some frame modifications Anything to add?: This has been an ongoing project with me and my three little girls (ages 4 years, 7 years, and 10 months in the photo). We all really enjoy working on it and wheeling it even more.

Nice TataVehicle: 2004 Tata TL 4x4 Owner: Owned by U.S. Army in Iraq, submitted by Sgt. Casey Kelver, Spring, TX Tires & Wheels: Stock with first tubeless tires from India that significantly reduce tires from bursting at high speeds Suspension: Stock double-wishbone front with torsion bars, solid axle with rear leaf springs Drivetrain: G76 5-speed manual transmission, limited-slip rear differential, electric 4x4 with automatic locking hubs Performance Mods: Stock I-4 1.9L turbodiesel with 92 hp and 137 lb-ft of torque, top speed of 76 mph Other Doodads: Machine gun mounted in bed, Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road stickers (I think the stickers may have bumped it up to 100 hp) Funniest Wheeling Incident: Just driving this thing in Iraq Does everything work the way you want?: As well as you can expect. Anything is better than a Humvee. Anything you would change?: I’d trade it for one of the Land Rovers or Suburbans here Anything to add?: The Tata makes me miss my F-250

Raider NationVehicles: 1997 (left) and 1998 Dodge Raiders Owners: Justin and Neil Hager, Colorado Springs, CO Tires & Wheels: 33x12.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac and 235/75/15R BFG Trail Maker tires on 15-inch black steel wheels, 2-inch wheel spacersSuspension: 3-inch body lift with stock springs and shocks Drivetrain: StockPerformance Mods: Weber Redline carburetor on the ’98 Other Doodads: 3-inch exhausts, electric fuel pumps, extended shifters Does everything work the way you want?: Fantastic Anything you would change?: Lockers for both, front solid axle swap for both, 32-inch tires for the ’97 Anything to add?: The small one (’97) is mine and I got it for $1,000. The big one (’98) is my dad’s and he bought it for $500. They both run great and outperform my ’80 CJ-5 in many ways.

Ice BreakerVehicle: 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport Owner: Steve Schuda, Sicklerville, NJ Tires & Wheels: 315/75/16R Pro Comp M/T tires on 16x10 Pro Comp Rock Crawler wheels Suspension: 5-inch Skyjacker Stage 1 suspension lift system, dual steering stabilizer system, add-a-leavesDrivetrain Stock transmission, front forks converted to cable setup, NP241HD transfer case conversion, custom driveshafts, Eaton lockers front and rear, 4.56 gearsPerformance M ods: 360ci V-8 roller camshaft engine bored 0.10 over, K&N air filter, Flowmaster dual exhaust Other Doodads: Dual Halo HID 8,000K kit, 8,000K foglamps, eight 130-watt KC Daylighter lamps, LED taillamps and third brake lamp, N-Fab Pre-Runner front pushbar, red Mopar 4x4 bed stripes, Mopar nose badge, all “Dodge” and “Ram” stickers replaced with “Mopar” or “Mopar 360” Funniest Wheeling Incident: During winter, I was going down a trail and came up to deep frozen water. I decided to drive across, but the truck was too heavy, and at the deepest part the right side of the truck broke through the ice. Just before it flipped, the left side broke through and dropped in, leveling me out. I threw it into 4-Lo and was able to drive right out.Does everything work the way you want?: Yes. I built it myself, so it runs like a horse! Anything you would change?: I want a body lift along with bigger wheels and tires Anything to add?: I love this truck! I built it myself and it’s a never-ending project. There are always things to change.

Cheap ThrillsVehicle: 1987 Toyota Short Box Pickup Owner: Derek Emerson, Helena, MT Tires & Wheels: 37x13.5 Pit Bull Rocker tires on 16x8 American Racing Baja wheels painted olive drab green Suspension: Toyota rear springs up front, 63-inch Chevy rear leaf springs, Sky Boomerang shackles, Monroe shocks Drivetrain: Old prototype Budbuilt adapter that mates two Toyota G/W series 5-speeds (you read right, my reverse-reverse-4-Lo gearing is 224:1!), stock transfer case with Trail Gear twin stock remotely shifted, stock axles, 4.38 gears, high steer, front IFS hub swap, rear Aussie locker Performance Mods: Lead foot Other Doodads: Many! Home-fabbed exocage/tube bed, power steering cooler converted from an old dirt bike oil cooler, ammo boxes for modular storage, jerrycans strapped to the bed, Humvee front/rear signal lights, Summit seats with RLS 5-point harnesses, custom transmission tunnelFunniest Wheeling Incident: Having a friend’s battery break on the trail and hiking to my rig to borrow its battery for a jump. It wasn’t very fun to hike a 4-rated obstacle while carrying a battery and jumper cables! Does everything work the way you want?: So far, I’m loving dual 5-speeds. Shifting on the fly with a much lower range than dual transfer cases. No coupling shafts were required because the male and female shafts on the Toyota transmissions are both 21-spline. Not to mention, no one at the parts store even believes me! Anything you would change?: Finish up my custom crossmembers and run a 2-piece front driveshaft and tuck part of it under a flat belly pan, and link suspension and add another locker when I no longer need to DD during winter Anything to add?: Got to thank my parents for fostering the 4x4 bug, and 4WOR Editors-in-Chief Péwé and Freiburger for showing me how to get away with doing things cheap

Too Pretty?Vehicle: 1987 Toyota FJ60 Land Cruiser Owner: Paul & Amy Carrill, Kansas City, MO Tires & Wheels: 33x15 BFG A/T tires on 15x8 widened Toyota stock wheels (originally 15x5.5), OEM hubcaps Suspension: 3-inch BDS suspension lift with BDS shocks, 4-inch Old Man Emu lift kit in the box and ready to install soon Drivetrain: Australian H55 5-speed transmission, rebuilt transfer case, U-joints, balanced driveshafts, rebuilt/packed front Birfield joints and knuckles with Toyota parts, rebuilt rear axle with Toyota parts Performance Mods: Stock I-6 with 230K milesOther Doodads: Underhood ARB compressor, dual batteries, snorkel, ARB front bumper with Warn 8274 winch, SOR rock sliders, SOR custom rear bumper with spare tire mount, ladder, work lamp, fuel can carrier, roof rack, utility interior panels, security console, rear seats for increased storage, Engel 12V refrigerator, rooftop tent, interior camping storage Funniest Wheeling Incident: Other than people always calling it a Land Rover, during a Cruise Moab event most people thought it was “too pretty” to wheel. Everyone was stunned when it crawled up several step on a near-vertical climb on a portion of the Devil’s Backbone. Does everything work the way you want?: Yes. The truck was built to travel long distances to backcountry destinations and back. It’s not the fastest, but it has taken us to some of the most beautiful spots in America and back home without a single problem. Anything to add?: You learn so much about an old truck when you restore one. The Rhino Ride started life as a ranch truck on a poultry farm, so when I pulled the interior every crevice was full of feathers! I’d love to meet the original owner some day and learn about his experiences with this truck.

The Daily BeastVehicle: 1994 Toyota Pickup Owner: Daniel Jones, Moreno Valley, California Tires & Wheels: 33x12.5 Timberline M/T tires on 15-inch steel wheels Suspension: Stock with Pro Comp shocksDrivetrain: Stock Performance Mods: 22RE I-4, K&N air filter, Ice big-bore throttle body, intake tube, Stage 2 cylinder head, handmade headers, 21⁄2-inch exhaust, Flowmaster muffler Other Doodads: Prerunner-style fenders with sledgehammer modification to fit the 33-inch tires Funniest Wheeling Incident: During an easy Sunday my brother and I thought it needed some mud on her and found a small lake nearby. Seven hours later and two more stuck trucks, we finally got out. Yeah, that was a good day Does everything work the way you want?: She is my daily driver and does everything amazingly Anything you would change?: I really want to change out the 5-speed for a 6-speed and add a Total Chaos, generation-two Caddy kit for the front with a nice set of bypass shocks, and a 4-link setup for the rearAnything to add?: I call her Beast and she goes anywhere

Lady’s Little Blue StockerVehicle: 1999 Ford Ranger XLT Owner: Alicia Cornish, Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada Tires & Wheels: Dunlop Winter tires on Stock 15x6 wheels Suspension: Stock Drivetrain: Stock Performance Mods: Stock Other Doodads: None. Haven’t had a chance. Funniest Wheeling Incident: Being stuck up on a hill with a dead alternator when I wheeled with my crew, Peace Liard Mudding Does everything work the way you want?: For sure Anything you would change?: Better tires and a suspension lift Anything to add?: Even an all-stock truck can handle some good stuff

Civilian DutyVehicle: 1998.5 AM General Hummer H1 Owner: SSG Joe Nuzzolese, US Army Drill Sergeant, Fort Benning, GA Tires & Wheels: Toyo M/T tires on chrome wheels Suspension: Stock Drivetrain: 6.5L GM Turbodiesel V-8 Funniest Wheeling Incident: I’ve had it in water almost up to the windshield, climbed near-vertical faces, and everything in-betweenDoes everything work the way you want?: I use this beast for what it was intended forAnything to add?: I love loading the family and dogs up for weekend camping trips. It’s nice being able to go from interstate speeds, make a turn, and take anything Mother Nature can throw at me without the blink of an eye or having to stop to put it into 4x4 mode.

208K TahoeVehicle: 1998 Chevy Tahoe Owner: Phillip Holmes, Westminster, MD Tires & Wheels: 35x12.5 BFG Mud King tires on 15x8 Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels Suspension: Cranked torsion bars and 3-inch Performance Accessories body lift Drivetrain: Stock Performance Mods: Shorty headers, short ram intake, throttle body spacer Other Doodads: Mild fender trimming Funniest Wheeling Incident: Got stuck in a creek at the bottom of a hill behind my buddy’s house just before it started pouring rain for three days Does everything work the way you want?: Runs pretty well for having 208,000 milesAnything you would change?: 4-inch suspension lift, 37-inch Interco TSL tires, better brakesAnything to add?: This is my first truck. Thanks to Wes Hogg and Andy Tillman for all of their help.